TORONTO, ON (April 23, 2018)– Realstar Hospitality announced the winners of its prestigious Awards of Recognition during the Wyndham Hotel Group Global Conference in Las Vegas earlier this month. The awards are presented each year to formally recognize the outstanding achievements of the top performing Days Inn hotels and hotel teams from across Canada.

“Leading a business to success can be a tough challenge which is why it’s a pleasure to celebrate our owners, general managers and their dedicated staff who work hard to represent the very best that Days Inn has to offer,” said Irwin Prince, president and COO, Realstar Hospitality. “This year’s recipients collectively demonstrate a high level of quality, service and commitment to hospitality excellence.”

2017 Awards of Recognition Recipients:

Guest Choice Award: Days Inn - Thunder Bay North, ON

Housekeeping Team of the Year: Days Inn - Estevan, SK

Days Inner Circle Team of the Year: Days Inn - Orillia, ON

Property of the Year 85 Rooms and Under: Days Inn & Suites - Lindsay, ON

Just five minutes’ walk from Dubrovnik’s Old Town, the small and perfectly-formed Villa Orsula Dubrovnik is housed in a white Art Deco villa that blends 1930s glamour with modern design – all accompanied by the scent of oranges, pines and lavender from the gardens. Rooms celebrate original features, such as the arched windows and balconies, with views looking out over the walls of Old Town or the peaceful forests of Lokrum Island, and steps lead down the terraced garden to a private bathing platform. Natural views are contrasted throughout with surrealist artwork by artists including Roberto Matta and Victor Vasarely. In the evening guests can enjoy Peruvian-Adriatic fusion dining and sea views on the vine-draped terrace at Victoria restaurant, accompanied by live jazz.

With its enviable address, the Hotel Excelsior is a Dubrovnik landmark that has welcomed kings, queens and Hollywood royalty. The hotel reopened in 2017 after a complete renovation combining the original 1913 villa with a sleek contemporary wing – The Tower - and this mingling of past and present is echoed in the interior styling with understated colour themes interrupted by pops of bright citrus and decadent velvet furnishings. The real wonder of this hotel, however, is where indoors meets out – whether that’s sipping coffee on a balcony, enjoying breakfast on the sun-soaked Salin terrace, a romantic dinner under the waterside arches at Prora restaurant or relaxing on the private beach. The spa takes guests on a journey of its own with Turkish and Roman baths, a Finnish sauna and freeform indoor pool.

SLH Insider Tip: Book a table for dinner on the terrace at Sensus to enjoy a degustation menu with views of the floodlit city walls across the bay and, if you’re lucky, a fireworks display.

This tropical oasis in the heart of bustling Seminyak has re-opened following a fresh new facelift. Taking up the lion’s share of Seminyak’s prized beach front, the ocean and garden-facing villas and suites offer space and privacy while there is also the option to select joining rooms for families and those with an entourage in tow. On-site amenities include the al fresco Mediterranean Sanje Restaurant & Lounge, seen at its best at sunset coconut martini in hand, all-day dining pavilion Santan serving authentic Balinese fare, and the Hemingway-inspired wine and whisky bar Klass & Brass. The resort also boasts the acclaimed Kahyangan Spa and a sparkling infinity pool sitting on the edge of the ocean.

Just minutes from the marina at Puerto Banus, this palatial adult-only spa resort has wellbeing at its core – offering anything from a complete detox from day-to-day life, or just some relaxation in the Mediterranean sun. Every suite is positioned to make the most of the coastal setting, with terraces overlooking the pool and gardens. Guests can enjoy the Healthouse Restaurant with daily four-course menus featuring healthy, balanced dishes designed by two Michelin-star chef Andoni Luis Anduriz, where they can also opt for tailored diet plans. The hotel offers two spacious spas – the luxurious Ekilum Spa offering a relaxing escape with everything from steam baths to ice showers, and the Naturhouse Health and Spa Centre which features a sensation path, salt sauna and snow cave.

SLH Insider Tip: In summer 2018 a second restaurant will open offering al fresco dining on the Andalucian patio.

Deriving its tranquil atmosphere from the surrounding mountains, lakes and woodland on the edge of the bustling city of Xuzhou, Hui Yue Boutique Hotel is a contemporary eco hotel that is all about sustainable resources and renewable energy. Five interconnected courtyards create a sense of space and openness flowing through interiors that combine local arts with modern architecture. Each room enjoys its own balcony and a personal butler team greets guests on arrival. Spend days exploring the local parkland and mountains, venturing into the city or relaxing in the Sabai Spa which offers authentic Thai treatments. In the evening the restaurant, Hui Yue Zuan, focuses on local delicacies, accompanied by live entertainment

Ovolo Woolloomooloo has partnered with US Chef Matthew Kenney on a new restaurant and bar concept for Alibi, which opened on 22nd March. Chef Kenney’s first venture in Australia, the 100% plant-based menu will feature dishes including Kimchi dumplings with sesame and ginger, Heirloom tomato and zuchini lasagna with pistachio pesto and Hibiscus strawberry cheesecake. The cocktail menu includes an Enchanted Forest cocktail that took the Alibi bar team eight months to create involving an infusion of fresh Portobello mushrooms and absinthe foam made from green apples. Rooms from USD 230 per night including breakfast.

New for this season at Yemaya Island Hideaway & Spa Hotel on Little Corn Island in Nicaragua are eco-chic suites complete with plunge pool. These generously sized rooms are perched just above the white sand beach allowing guests the optimum views of the sunrise across the inner and outer reefs. Oceanfront Plunge Pool Suites from USD 585 per night.

Dukes London, just a five-minute walk from Buckingham Palace, is offering a package (for two) including accommodation, transfers from Heathrow or Gatwick, a walking tour of Westminster, afternoon tea in the Drawing Room, a three-course dinner at GBR, a trip to Windsor Castle with complimentary picnic breakfast and a Royal Wedding souvenir. Rooms from USD 897 per night.

The profitability of hotels in the U.S. increased in 2017, in line with the growth of the economy under President Trump, according to the latest findings from a new publication, “Profit Matters: U.S. Annual Hotel Performance Tracker 2018,” released by the hotel benchmark service, HotStats.

According to the report, full-service hotels in the U.S. recorded a 2.9 percent increase in profit per room in 2017, which was on the back of growth in all revenue departments fueling a 2.5 percent increase in TrevPAR (Total Revenue per Available Room) for the year.

The growth in hotel revenue was attributed to the 2.3 percent year-on-year increase in GDP in the U.S., as the performance of hotels in North America has a strong correlation with the health of the economy.

In addition to a 2.0 percent increase in RevPAR, growth in non-rooms revenues, including food & beverage (+2.4 percent) contributed to the uplift in TrevPAR, with the strongest month of hotel performance identified as October 2017, where total revenue levels peaked at $284.03 per available room.

That said, while falling unemployment levels and increases in minimum wage also are seen as positive indicators of economic performance, the publication cites labor costs as one of the biggest threats to profit levels at hotels in the U.S. going forward, illustrated by the 1.7 percentage point year-on-year increase in 2017, to 34.9 percent of total revenue.

Nevertheless, the outlook for the overall U.S. hotel market in 2018 is positive, with consumer spending likely to remain supported by rising household wealth, thanks to the booming stock market and higher house prices, as well as tax cuts.

In addition to covering the overall U.S. hotel market, the publication drills down to reveal the profit performance of individual city markets across the U.S., providing a flavor of the capability of HotStats. These markets include Washington D.C., San Diego, Houston, New York City, where the profit conversion of hotels are among the lowest in the country, and San Francisco, where profit levels have been challenged by escalating labor costs

“HotStats is proud to be publishing the results of the first ‘Profit Matters: U.S. Annual Hotel Performance Tracker,’ which presents comprehensive monthly data for the full calendar year 2017 versus 2016.

We are excited to bring this product to the U.S. and thrilled at the engagement from the industry’s leading hoteliers, whom we would like to thank for their invaluable contribution.

For the first time, through the power of HotStats, America’s hotel industry can access and apply monthly operational profit and loss benchmarking to combat today’s challenges and properly align owners and operators through crystal clear visibility all the way to the bottom line,” said Pablo Alonso, CEO of HotStats.